Went out yesterday morning to try some reef fishing again with the big tides I figured it might be good out there. I got there around 7-8 am. and it was foggy and the tide was ripping pretty good. There was about half dozen boats working the reef and most were trolling, whichis always a bit of a pain to work around but I just did my thing and kept out of their way as best I could. I stopped by the west wall on my way over and caught a couple of 30ish bass before I headed over to Branford. As soon as I cast the jig into the rip I was hooked up. There was alot of bluefish around and they were wreaking havoc on my equipment. Wild Eyes and Blues don't mix so I immediately went to the bucktail jigs as a means of saving money. It was like fish in a barrel, the fishfinder was lit up like christmas and it was a matter of let the jig sink and slowly retrieve back to the boat, usually didn't take more than 2-3 jigs of the rod before I was hooked up. The guy's trolling were doing alright as well but I don't get it, it just doesn't seem to be any fun to troll???? It definitely puts fish in the boat though. I kept fishing through the whole incoming tide and it was virtually non-stop, I really had a ball this morning and the other guy's kept talking and pointing at me, not sure what they were saying but I can just imagine. At one point I got bored so I broke out the flyrod and proceded to catch fish on that too, it was unreal how many fish were on the reef! This went on all morning, and I left to try the Browns Reef area when the tide slacked and started going out. But alas all good things must come to an end and the fish were not to be found over there. I went back to the Beacon and caught a few more before heading back to Milford. I stopped at the walls to drift for fluke for a little while but that was a lesson in frustration, nada! I decided to try the West Wall again before I packed it in and put a couple more nice fish in the boat before the wife called me and asked if I had heard the thunder? Thunder I said! "I'll be right home honey! Made it back to the harbor just as the rain began to fall. Rained on me until I got the boat in the driveway and then the sun came out.......Go Figure!

Tightlines,
Mike Mayo

steelheadmike

06-16-2003, 10:57 AM

Good to hear you had some fun Mike. As we discussed I left Norwalk on 6/15 at roughly 5am. Fished all the way up to Bridgeport without a sniff!!! Saw shad at Burying Hill, Sunken Island and Pennsfield. After getting skunked at all the "good spots" we headed over to the Middle Grounds for the flood tide. If the outgoing is better than the flood as you say...... I better start working out becuase there where more Stripers there than you could shake a stick at!!!! After a diddling around and trying different methods we managed to start hooking up using 3oz Bucktails with Blue or Chart rubber off the back. One boat was trolling / jigging Chart Parachutes and was double and tripple hooked up on every pass. We dropped pleanty but did end up with 4 bass over 20lbs and a blue of 5lbs. My buddy dropped one at the boat due to a bad knot that was definately around the 30lb mark!

Great day ..... thanks for the info. give me a buzz and hopefully we can meet up maybe this week / weekend. Maybe this time they will be reachable on the Long Rod!

Striper

06-16-2003, 11:21 AM

Mike,
Awesome report buddy. I think that all the fish are still holding off shore in the deeper water due to all of the fresh water influx from the rains. All of the reefs I have been fishing have been productive lately. With the big tides this weekend it was almost a guarantee that the fish would be stacked up on the reefs waiting for a meal. I love Middleground it is such a good spot to fish it has everything you could ask for. I am still planning on a trip over to the spots we discussed tomorrow, I had some communication with Tuna from the other site and he was very helpful as well, seems like a nice guy. He will not be around tomorrow so it looks like maybe I will be solo tomorrow on the flats. I will let you know how I make out.

Tightlines,
Mike Mayo

steelheadmike

06-16-2003, 11:54 AM

i was actually contemplating being ill tomorrow. Damn weather. :devil:

steelheadmike

06-16-2003, 04:07 PM

Striper,

Just got off the horn with my buddy who's got the house out on Cedar Beach LI. Got a report for ya if ya care to hear it.

Striper

06-16-2003, 10:28 PM

Mike,
It is 10:30 pm. and I am not calling you that late, I sure wish I could have gotten that report before I leave in the morning but I am going to chance it and go anyway. From the sounds of it there are bluefish in residence, I hope that is not the only fish in the house. Getting up around 3:30 am. to be on the water for around 4:30 and head over after a little fishing around LSS and Plum Gut. Give me a shout if you want and I will give you the low down.

Tightlines,
Mike Mayo

Striper

06-18-2003, 02:40 PM

Steelhead Mike,
Here is my report from Reel-Time NY board. I did get your message but have not had a chance to call you back I am sorry but will contact you soon.

Well I took the ride over to check out the flats up inside the North Fork area after talking with a few folks from the board. It wasn't too far of a run and the conditions were ideal to run over at 35 mph. I got over there around 7:15 am. tide was just coming in. I started off at Paradise and fished the deep side first. I didn't get any takers so I switched to the flats. I fished all along the shoreline there up to the Egret, I didn't see any fish at all but did manage to pickup a couple of small schoolies blind casting into shore. The sun was in and out which made it difficult to sight for fish, I trudged along though and kept fishing. I did manage after awhile to see a couple of mid-20" fish swimming around near me but they were not interested in meeting or getting to know me. the whole area around there is super and I am sure on a better day it would be great. I went over from there to try Jessup. The tide was cranking over the bar there and I tried around the bar first but there was nobody home. I made my way along the beach (west side I think) and fished up to the weir. I had a nice fish on briefly who had alot of company but it managed to get free and I managed only to tempt a few more fish there. I tried the east side next where the incoming tide hit the shoreline, this is a very deep dropoff beach and I thought it looked real fishy. I got one seas robin and had a few fish follow but no takers. I went from there to North Haven and fished around there for awhile. Never having fished that area I was not sure which part of that huge area you guy's have been fishing so I just fished the areas that looked good. I picked up half a dozen schoolies there casting into shore with a clouser on a sinking line. It was getting late so I headed back over to Paradise before I headed home. There was definitely fish there and I saw alot of fish the second time around. But they were very finicky and and would only chase and not eat the fly. I tried many different flies and presentations as well as speeds but could only get them to chase and refuse. I finally hooked a fish by putting on a small white deceiver and stripping it in very, very, fast this didn't give them time to inspect they just had to inhale it and hope for the best. Caught a couple of fish and then had to leave for the long ride back. I really enjoyed fishing these areas even if I didn't have the best success, you guy's who are closer and can fish this area are very lucky, I wish I had flats and shallows like this around my neck of the woods. The water clarity was definitely not what it normally is and I expected the water to be much more clear. The recent rains probably had alot to do with this and I suspect that after a week of no rain it would be much better. I would like to thank the guy's that responded to my earlier posts for sharing some knowledge with a starnger, it was helpful to say the least and your secrets are safe with me. I never knew how immense that whole area is back there, it is like a whole other ocean, you could spend a lifetime just fishing there alone, it has everything you could ask for. Deep water,shallows, bays, estuaries, man would I love to fish there more often. If it were just a little closer for me. Thanks again guy's, and you know who you are.